


fated

by yikeshyuck



Category: The Boyz (Korea Band)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Background Relationships, Getting Back Together, Inspired by Romeo and Juliet, M/M, hyunjae as juliet, idk what this is lol, just give these two boys love damnit, juyeon as romeo, the boyz are actors, well kinda
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-06
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-12 04:22:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29879022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yikeshyuck/pseuds/yikeshyuck
Summary: in which juyeon and hyunjae are exes but a rendition of romeo and juliet bring them back to each other.
Relationships: Lee Jaehyun | Hyunjae/Lee Juyeon
Comments: 6
Kudos: 20





	1. act 1 scene 1

"i just got an offer for you to play a main role in an upcoming project."

hyunjae: the nation's sweetheart. he was thrust into the limelight at the tender age of 9 as a child actor and instantly became a figure that agencies were paying extra attention to in order to scout (something about an 'aura' he had, he recalls). having acted in role after role all throughout his teenage years, despite still being in school and continuing to pursue acting as a young adult, hyunjae knew he was under the nation's scrutiny in every role he took on and it was this intensive analysis of all of his characters and his fear of failure which ultimately pushed him to 'do better' in every single one of his parts.

recently however, he had hit a wall. a plethora of offers from multiple different projects spanning from small features for film festivals to large scale musicals on the silver screen came flowing his way and hyunjae was overwhelmed with the expectations of all of these people because underneath his flawless facade, he was lee jaehyun and jaehyun was the polar opposite of what hyunjae appeared to be.

hyunjae, the beautiful persona he had crafted for himself and acted as whilst fleeting from interview to variety show and back to interview was loud and bright; he conversed animatedly with reporters and mcs and never would there be a dull moment if he was in the room. his sense of humour was on another level and his sharp wit made him appear one step ahead of even the scriptwriters of the shows he appeared on.   
however, when the cameras were all turned off, his makeup removed from his face and was taken out of all the fancy designer-wear he usually strutted around in all day, jaehyun emerged. jaehyun was quiet and reserved; he only really talked to his close circle of friends or his manager, he tried his best to avoid public interactions, including times when his castmates would ask him to go out drinking with them and he'd politely decline, making up some sort of lie about how he was practicing for a new role with his coach (and they'd believe him, knowing how much hyunjae was in-demand).

long story short, hyunjae was outgoing, jaehyun was not. either way, when jaehyun walked into his manager's office in the morning after being summoned, he sighed internally when his manager proposed he take on a new role.

"what makes this offer different from any of the other projects that i've recently turned down?" his manager smiles; he was probably expecting this sort of response after the actor turned down the last few offers.

"give me a second," his manager reaches for the phone and dials in a number. the familiar purr of the phone is faintly detectable as he his across from his manager, awaiting a response from the other line of the phone.

"yes, it is. yes, he's here with me today. would you like me to put him on the phone? okay hold on," he gestures for jaehyun to take the phone; the actor does so hesitantly.

"hello?" his tentative greeting is met with a familiar voice.

"holy shit it really is you."

"sangyeon hyung?!" 

"you bet it is," jaehyun can practically hear sangyeon smile on the other end of the line and he wants to cry right then and there.

lee sangyeon was his rock when he went to uni (yes, he did go to university amidst his multiple acting gigs he took on and ended up graduating with highest degree honours). both of them were in the same english-and-creative-writing course and had been assigned to sit next to each other in lectures. the older of the two reached out first and jaehyun was glad that despite sangyeon knowing he was a child actor and practically a celebrity at this point, he treated him as if he was just another normal guy, which jaehyun really appreciated. when the younger of the two was mobbed by people with questions, love confessions and even threats, sangyeon was there to help him get out of those situations. however after uni and the two parted ways, jaehyun got so swamped with acting projects that he forgot to check in with his best friend of the time and by the time he did end up giving sangyeon a call, he'd changed his number so to hear him now, doing well and heck, even going as far to offer jaehyun a gig, he was more than happy.

"i'm at a loss for words to be honest, how are you?" jaehyun responds, still in shock.

"i'm ok, thanks for asking. anyways, i'm quite busy today so i'm just going to cut to the chase now, we can catch up for dinner some other time, i gave your manager my number so he can pass that onto you. how do you feel about the role i proposed?" sangyeon questions, fully expecting jaehyun to know all about the role he proposed for him to his manager. jaehyun, on the other hand hasn't got the slightest clue.

"sorry, what is the role exactly? my manager just told me to come into work this morning and told me i had a new role offer and put me straight on the phone with you," he explains rather sheepishly, hoping that the elder would have mercy on him for not knowing what this part was (speaking of his manager, jaehyun looked around the room and had absolutely no idea that he'd left the office at some point).

obviously sangyeon sympathised with him.

"ahhhh, i see. right so seeing as i'm here, might as well give you some context. i took a trip to seoul y'know, went to visit family and i don't really know what came over me but i decided to go to the old library near my house and after spending quite a while there, i became enamoured with this version of romeo and juliet. it was unfinished and the copy itself needed a bit of love but i was just so enamoured by it that i decided to take finishing and editing the play into my own hands and by the end of my trip, i'd finished the script to what would be, if i do say so myself, a beautiful play and so-" jaehyun cuts him off.

"i thought you said you were busy, mr i have so much to do today," he chuckles. "where exactly do i come in?"

sangyeon laughs on the other end of the phone, "i see, still just as sassy as you were back then. anyways long story short, i want you to be my juliet."

jaehyun was taken aback; was he really juliet material? all the roles he'd taken on up to this point were somewhere along the lines of a typical 'boy-next-door'-esque character who the main protagonist either has as their first love or falls in love with to end up with at the end of the story arc. yet in this role, he'd be the one 

"jae, i can literally hear the cogs turning in your head right now. i know this is a completely left field role compared to what you normally do, but honestly i can't picture anyone else who would be better for the role than you. listen to me, i rewrote the entire script. that means that all the characters have been slightly altered and yes, romeo is still a boy, but i just know for a fact that you would do a better job than any of the b-list actors i have on call here in seoul."

jaehyun is once again, at a loss for words. sangyeon has so much faith in him as an actor, so much faith in him that he will do well, no matter how it turns out in the end. 

"sangyeon hyung, this opportunity sounds amazing honestly, but i'm not used to working in a stage environment. as opposed to tv and film where i can shoot multiple takes in order to be perfect, theatre and plays are just so raw and intimate and i don't think i'd be able to do it justice," jaehyun hears the older sigh and he starts to panic.

"NO-NO HYUNG I'LL DO IT!" in all honesty, jaehyun doesn't know what overcame him in those split seconds he manages to hastily spit out those words but it doesn't matter because he can hear the joy radiate from sangyeon's end of the phone all the way to where he is.

"will you actually? is this like, for real for real?" jaehyun inhales deeply.

"yes. yes it is."


	2. act 1 scene 2

juyeon arrives at rehearsals early, like he usually does. coming early always gives him the peace of mind needed in order to fully prepare himself by immersing himself wholly into his character's mindset.

lee juyeon was renowned in the theatre world as a genius. not for his astounding intellect (despite him ranking within the country's top 10% in his exams), not even for his stage presence as he oozes charisma in every role he takes on, but instead his method acting. juyeon was known for being especially emotive and the way that he portrayed his characters was so raw and real it really made the audience connect with the plot which was playing out on stage and ended up with the actor getting rave reviews from the general public and critics alike.

sangyeon had found juyeon through attending one of the plays he was starring in: the crucible. he could see that all of the actors were of an extremely high calibre as the play was high tension from start to end with each character doing their part to tell the story in such a terrifying yet magical way. however it was juyeon who really stood out to the older as his intense portrayal of john proctor captivated the older and he couldn't stop thinking about it even after he went home.

luckily the theatre was showing the crucible the next day and though sangyeon didn't watch the play itself, the bustle of people flowing out of the theatre's doors once the play was over said enough that it was another successful evening. he'd managed to catch juyeon on his way out and he offered the younger a coffee (although it was the evening) and despite sangyeon being a complete stranger to the actor, he accepts because he really felt like a coffee at the time. they ducked into a nearby cafe and once talking, sangyeon brought up his romeo and juliet project to him and the rest is history, as they say.

back to present, juyeon takes his script out of his bag, sits down cross-legged on the stage and begins to skim through the first few scenes. he reads in peace until he is brought out of his thoughts with the door of the auditorium opening. sangyeon is at the door and a shadowy figure stands behind him and juyeon can't quite make out his face as it is a bit too dark outside. 

"morning juyeon," sangyeon smiles as he makes his way up to the stage where the actor is sitting.

"morning hyung, who's that with yo- OH WAIT, KEVIN?!" juyeon exclaims animatedly and there is no doubt that it is indeed kevin moon in the flesh. the younger of the two nods and grins, running up to hug the older.

kevin and juyeon had a rocky relationship to begin with. the two met in high school; kevin had recently transferred and was told to sit next to juyeon, who was to acquaint him and get him settled into his new life at the school. however, kevin wanted nothing to do with juyeon for some reason and despite the older's attempts to socialise with him, he just shrugged juyeon off. it was only until the two had to work together outside of school hours for a project which would account for 40% of their final grade did juyeon find out why kevin avoided him. kevin was thrown straight into korean culture and didn't have time to adjust to his new surroundings, so when he first turned up at juyeon's school, he instantly assumed that juyeon would judge his broken korean and lack of knowledge about korea. of course juyeon was much more understanding than kevin could've hoped for and completely understood where the younger was coming from and since then, the two had become close friends. juyeon would help kevin if there were any words or phrases he didn't understand in classes and kevin would help juyeon by helping him learn lines for plays the older would be rehearsing for. after high school the two still kept in contact and met up from time to time, but juyeon had to admit that his schedule was packed which limited the time he got to spend with his friends.

"it's been too long hasn't it?" kevin is still smiling through his words.

"yeah it has, we should totally catch up after rehearsals. speaking of which, how come you're here? with sangyeon no less?" juyeon had to admit that he was confused at kevin's presence in the auditorium. kevin didn't act and he made that clear to juyeon every time he attempted to convince the younger to audition for plays with him, so why was he here?

"i'm sangyeon's personal assistant, it's really quite fun to be honest," kevin sees juyeon's shocked face and laughs. "bet you didn't think i'd be in a role in which i organise things huh."

"no i didn't, last time i remember seeing you, you were flailing around with loose sheets of paper and your portfolio wasn't looking too great either," juyeon laughs with kevin and the latter nods, laughing with him.

"i can't believe you actually remember that. anyways, after art school i needed something in order to maintain a living. not everyone can be like you and get scouted for your talent during high school, knowing you'd get a stable job in the industry you'd dreamed of working in. i was looking around for work for quite a long while before sangyeon found me. at the time i was still taking art commissions and though it was earning me enough to get by, i wasn't living healthily because the heating was broken in the apartment and i was constantly eating ramen. sangyeon, like my fairy godfather or something, found me working on a new commission in a local cafe, there was no room elsewhere so he sat down at my table and we just got talking. i told him about my financial problems and BAM he offered me a job then and there and i haven't looked back since," kevin finishes talking and juyeon is in awe.

"damn, i can't believe you didn't tell me about any of this, i could've helped! now i feel bad," juyeon pouts and kevin starts laughing again.

"nawwww, it's really fine. i'm just amazed at how sangyeon managed to find me when he did."

the two continue to converse and catch up with one another as sangyeon continues to set up the stage and welcome the others who walk through the doors of the auditorium for rehearsals. just as the two begin to wrap up their conversation and get ready for the start of practice, a final person tentatively makes their way into the hall.

"hyunjae, i'm so glad you could make it!" sangyeon exclaims and juyeon feels his heart drop to his stomach. he looks again at the figure standing amidst the seats in the theatre hall and bile begins to build at the back of his throat.

well shit.


	3. act 1 scene 3

_hyunjae: hyung, i'm not sure whether i'll be able to make it to practice today_

_sangyeon: oh, why not? :(_

_hyunjae: i'm not feeling too well today_

_sangyeon: how come? you seemed fine yesterday when we met up…_

_hyunjae: yeah i was ok yesterday but i'm just not feeling great today_

_hyunjae: plus i haven't looked at the script AT ALL_

_sangyeon: jaejae._

_sangyeon: is this about juyeon?_

_hyunjae: hOw dId yOu kNoW_

_sangyeon: listen, i'm sorry that i didn't know that your juyeon was the juyeon i scouted from the theatre but it's kind of your fault for never showing me what he looked like (or telling me what his last name was, juyeon is quite a popular name and heck, it's unisex too)_

_sangyeon: either way i honestly think that it'd be good for you to get some closure on what happened between the two of you. besides he's got such a professional aura around him and i'm sure you'd be able to work out the creases from your past before the play is open to the public_

_hyunjae: yeah but sangyeon i'm scared_

_hyunjae: sangyeon what if he rejects me as a person again?_

_hyunjae: what if i end up catching feelings again?_

_sangyeon: yeah but those are all 'what ifs', you'll never know until you actually see him again_

_hyunjae: alright, i'll have a think about it. but don't blame me if i chicken out of turning up tomorrow ___

__jaehyun looks down at his phone, re-reading the texts he sent to sangyeon earlier in the morning. he slightly regrets coming but he tells himself it's because he's dedicated to his job (read: stubborn and not willing to accept defeat, especially if it's juyeon again), however when he locks eyes with juyeon everything begins to flood back to him._ _

__juyeon. gorgeous juyeon. beautiful juyeon. juyeon who he fell in love with and would eventually be the one to break his heart at the tender age of 18 right before he was set to go to university. he had the same facial features as he did back then (well what else would he have? he's not an alien) yet he looked more mature and defined. he seemed as if he'd grown more into himself over the past years they hadn't seen each other._ _

__the two lock eyes. jaehyun can't find it in himself to look away so he's just stood there, in the midst of the seats, his eyes boring into the soul of the man he once loved._ _

__juyeon is the one to break the contact, eyes tearing away from the older as he rushes over to sangyeon, whispers something in his ear and suddenly slips off the stage and away from the rehearsal. jaehyun gives sangyeon a questioning look and the older just grimaces in response._ _

__great, juyeon didn't know he was going to be there either._ _

__sangyeon realises that there would be tension in the room if he didn't begin so he calls for everyone to come to center-stage and sit in a circle. jaehyun walks up to the stage and is the last to reach the circle so he awkwardly fits himself between sangyeon and some other guy (they'd attempted to leave jaehyun some room but the gap was a bit too small). jaehyun took a quick glance of the others in the circle and he knew he'd recognised some people (whether they'd met or not was another story) but realised that juyeon hadn't returned to the stage. surely enough, another gap on the other side of the circle was made for juyeon when he returned, but sangyeon seemed as if he was going to get started without the other._ _

__"right everyone, first off i want to say thank you so so much for agreeing to do this play; this is the first time i've worked in theatre and though my acting knowledge isn't quite up to par, i hope my enthusiasm makes up for it," everyone in the circle laughs, sangyeon takes that as a signal to continue. "this rendition of romeo and juliet has been a passion project of mine for quite a while now and to see it finally in the making is a bit surreal. anyways, to kick things off, let's go around and introduce ourselves."_ _

__sangyeon fully expects someone to kick off the introductions until he realises everyone is looking at him intently. he laughs, "oh yeah i'm a person. sorry about that, if you didn't know already i'm lee sangyeon and i'm the director of this play. i'm gonna pass to the lovely person on my right; please say your name, a bit about yourself and your role in this project."_ _

__jaehyun begins to zone out a bit as he listens to the others introduce themselves. there was kevin (sangyeon's p.a. and the person in charge of set design and costuming), eric (the person in change of lighting and special effects), haknyeon (who'd be helping eric and kevin with their roles), sunwoo (who'd play tybalt), chanhee (who'd play mercutio), younghoon (who'd be an adapted version of friar lawrence), changmin (who'd be juliet's nurse), jacob (who'd play benvolio) and a few other names who'd fill in for the minor characters that he didn't pay attention to._ _

__jaehyun's mind was completely preoccupied; how was he to deal with juyeon and more importantly, how would he make it seem as if he was in love with the other man? his inner conflict was making him more and more anxious and when it got round to his own turn to introduce himself, he froze up. sangyeon gave him a nudge to indicate that he was to speak but jaehyun gives sangyeon a pained look; the older seems to get the hint._ _

__"this is hyunjae and he's going to be playing juliet, he's feeling a bit under the weather at the moment, so i don't think he wants to speak too much, right?" god bless sangyeon's empathy and improvisation skills, jaehyun thinks. he waves to the people in the circle to compensate and all of them don't seem to mind that he's staying quiet as he receives friendly smiles and waves in response._ _

__just when jaehyun decides to look up, he meets juyeon's gaze from the opposite end of the stage. the younger's eyes look more red and puffier and he also seems to be concerned about something, but before jaehyun can inquire about anything (yes he wants to know what's going on, he does have sympathy), sangyeon asks juyeon to introduce himself._ _

__"oh yeah, hi i'm lee juyeon and i'm playing romeo, i'm not really an interesting person but i hope to be able to get along with all of you," the others in the circle greet him back but jaehyun feels singled out by juyeon's comment about getting along with people, even though he shouldn't. he was the one who got his heart broken by the former so why should he feel remorse?_ _

__sangyeon claps his hands after everyone's finished talking amongst themselves and have gotten settled in and tells the cast to separate into small groups for team building exercises and get acquainted with one another. ("it shouldn't take too long, just a little bit of fun so that everyone can get to know each other better.") everyone starts to split up into groups of four and jaehyun just sits still in the midst of the commotion, unsure of what to do with himself. suddenly a voice rings loud and clear and cuts through the chaos of jaehyun's mind. that voice is unmistakably familiar and jaehyun feels a pit in his stomach._ _

__"i know i'm probably the last person you want to talk to right now, but do you want to team up?"_ _


	4. Chapter 4

"LEE JUYEON YOU ARE SUCH A FUCKING COWARD!" juyeon smashes his hand against the wall of one of the toilet cubicles. tears are streaming down his face and his breathing is becoming more and more ragged. 

upon seeing jaehyun again, instead of manning himself up and confronting his past, he ran. just like a coward would, he thinks. jaehyun looked as lovely as he did when juyeon last saw him and he can't bring himself to face the older anymore without the painful memories attached with the other.

it was his fault that everything came crashing down for the both of them but he didn't know what to do. jaehyun was too out of his league; when he first saw the older on set on day 1 of filming their old project, he couldn't help but feel mesmerised by him. jaehyun was everything he wasn't; he was experienced with the filming process, he had a sense of maturity that juyeon could only wish for in his teenage years and he was sociable, engaging with not only their other castmates, but also the directors, producers and even the crew with pleasantries. juyeon felt completely out of his depth acting alongside jaehyun and even now after seeing him after years, he still feels just as unsettled.

at this point juyeon has got his breathing back in control and waits for his tears to ease, rubbing at his eyes with the backs of his hands (despite knowing that it would make his eyes look blotchy) and walks over to the sinks. he turns on a tap and splashes some water onto his face, hoping he'd not look too concerning upon his return to the rehearsal and finally turns on his heel and walks out of the toilets, refusing to look at himself in the mirror because he knows he won't like what he sees.

juyeon rushes back to the stage and immediately locks eyes with hyunjae. the latter seemed to be confused about something but he knows not to pry; it isn't his business after all. sangyeon asks him to introduce himself once he notices juyeon is back.

whilst he is introducing himself, he catches a glimpse at jaehyun and luckily the older is not looking at him when he does so. he seems to be a bit unsettled and juyeon infers that it's because he had come back.

ouch. that hurt. did being around him really make jaehyun that uncomfortable?

juyeon doesn't have time to dwell on the matter as sangyeon is immediately throwing them into a team building activity and making everyone team up in groups of three or four. he watches everyone start to form small groups and feels singled out only to see jaehyun in the same predicament, still sitting on the floor but with no-one approaching him. 

he doesn't know what overcame him in that moment but juyeon feels his legs move against his will and judgement towards jaehyun and taps the older on the shoulder.

no going back now.

"i know i'm probably the last person you want to talk to right now, but do you want to team up?" jaehyun looks unsure at juyeon's question, heck he still can't make eye contact with the younger, but juyeon finds himself speaking again. "listen, we can talk about our differences outside of the theatre, but sangyeon is relying on us to perform. we've got to at least be civil with each other hyung," juyeon finishes his sentence and is met with an icy stare from the older.

he's screwed.

as he sighs and begins to walk away from jaehyun, he feels a hand grip hold of his ankle. not wanting to risk moving forward and possibly tripping, he turns and sees the older, still on the floor but a softer expression on his face. 

"you're right, we're doing this for sangyeon," and juyeon thanks all of the magical powers that must be from above as he recognises that jaehyun is indirectly saying yes to him. the younger shoots jaehyun a small smile and the older just nods in response. 

"is there another pair we can make a group with?" as jaehyun speaks, juyeon falls in love all over again. the older's voice comes out soft, almost like a whisper and it's bittersweet; today is the first time juyeon has heard his voice in years yet it sounds like a shadow of its usual bright and cheerful timbre. did he really do all of this to his hyung?

coming back out of his thoughts, juyeon remembers that he needs to look for other people to make a group and to his relief, he spots kevin and another guy at the other end of the stage and waves to get the younger's attention. the other guy seems to notice as he taps kevin and points towards juyeon and the pair begin to make their way over to where jaehyun and juyeon are.

"juyeon thank god, i don't think i'd have been able to do what sangyeon's planned with a group of complete strangers," kevin laughs and juyeon feels jaehyun tense up beside him. kevin also seems to notice the latter tense and begins to ramble.

"no no no it's not bad at all! it's actually quite the opposite to what you're probably thinking! i'll let the man explain when everyone's gotten to know their group," kevin is quite the panicker and jaehyun seems to notice this as he relaxes and gives kevin a reassuring look.

"oh my god, so sorry i didn't introduce myself properly i'm kevin! it's great to meet you hyunjae!" kevin's bright personality reduces the tension between juyeon and jaehyun and the group seems more at ease with one another.

"nice to meet you kevin, it's nice to see sangyeon isn't taking on too much by himself. i know how hard he works," jaehyun turns to face the other boy who hasn't spoken at all since kevin pulled him over. "hey you're jacob right?"

juyeon found it mesmerising how easy it was for how easy jaehyun seemed to get along with people he'd only met for the first time. he wished he had the same social prowess but knew that it was never going to happen; jaehyun was just too good. juyeon is snapped out of his thoughts when sangyeon yells for everyone's attention and explains the activity to the group.

"the activity idea i had was a mixture of 20 questions and speed dating. in your groups, you will 'speed date' a person for two minutes. in that time, you will take it in turns to ask one another the first questions that come to mind, no matter how random and hopefully that should help you get to know one another and also put you at ease with some of your castmates. sound ok?" sangyeon gives jaehyun a sympathetic and doting look; juyeon notices and can't help but flinch. did sangyeon know the extent of what jaehyun and him went through?

not having enough time to dwell on the past, everyone seems to like the idea sangyeon proposes and kevin unceremoniously plonks himself down in front of juyeon and gives him a wide, reassuring smile. 

"3, 2, 1, start!"


	5. act 1 scene 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i kinda spammed updates of this book today bc these have been in my drafts for a while. this is the first writing project i’ve worked on in a while and i’m really excited to work more on this fic and see how it develops :)

the first few minutes of the activity seemed to pass by like a blur for jaehyun. first he talked to jacob and he found out that the latter was the same age as him, came from canada, plays the guitar, has a dog called kobi and doesn't really act but liked sangyeon enough to take on the role that was offered to him. next was kevin who was also canadian, was a small scene artist, likes to sing, has too big of a coffee addiction and even lives about five minutes away from jaehyun's agency. ("it's a small world huh?" "yes kevin, it really is.")

finally it came to juyeon and whilst jaehyun was feeling anxious, the younger seemed evidently more so as he had his hands over his face and his chest seemed to be heaving with each of his breaths. did seeing him really have that negative of an effect on juyeon?

"oh, hi hyung," juyeon mumbles when he senses jaehyun's presence in front of him. jaehyun can't help but internally flinch. is this how broken their relationship has become? 

"do you want to start?" jaehyun asks cautiously.

"i don't mind." lies. juyeon's eyes are hinting, no, pleading for jaehyun to go first.

"have you eaten today?"

"yes, i got a sandwich on the way here. what about you?"

"by the time i got up i only had time to grab a coffee-"

"hyung, you always forget breakfast! it's like the most 'you' thing to do," juyeon exclaims and jaehyun is not only surprised at the younger boy's outburst but also that he remembered that about him.

_when they were working together for that tv show, jaehyun seldomly had breakfast. it had never been an issue for him in the past as he saw it as an inconvenience but when juyeon noticed that his hyung never ate breakfast with the other cast in the mornings, he sought out the older and confronted him about his eating habit of his._

_"jaehyun, why aren't you eating breakfast with us? it's croissants today!" juyeon seems cheerful this morning (not that he wasn't chirpy throughout the day, but this time more so than others)._

_"i don't really feel like eating. maybe tomorrow?" jaehyun bluffs. he's almost certain juyeon will let it pass and give up but the younger boy starts to frown at that._

_"hyung, don't think i didn't notice that you never show up to breakfast with us all despite being one of the first on set in the morning. it's bad to skip breakfast!" juyeon seems genuinely upset that jaehyun isn't eating breakfast._

_"it's not that bad, besides i eat lots for lunch and you know that." jaehyun tries to reassure him._

_"yeah but it's healthier for you to have breakfast! as much as you do make up for it at lunchtime, it's not great for your body if you don't start the day off with a meal; it slows your body's metabolism which means you can't really work as well during the day than if you had breakfast. come on, you need to eat and i won't take no for an answer!" juyeon proceeds to take jaehyun by the wrist and drag him to the cafeteria where all of their other castmates are eating and is subject to juyeon feeding him as if he was a small child, occasionally going 'here comes the aeroplane' for added effect. ___

__those were the better times, jaehyun thought as he looked at the relationship he and juyeon had now and all that was left were ruins. he hated how awkward the two had come with one another and wanted to change their circumstances, especially since juyeon had showcased that he did actually remember things about their past. however, he couldn't let go the fact that juyeon broke his heart years ago and he didn't know whether he had it in his heart to let the past go and let them move forward as acquaintances._ _

__"hyung... you're spacing out. i'm sorry that i'm making you uncomfortable, i'll just go…" and before jaehyun can get a word in edgeways, juyeon is standing up, hastily making his way to sangyeon and then excusing himself from the stage. jaehyun was once again confused; shouldn't be the one to run off? he was after all the one who had his feelings rejected but it was juyeon who left today._ _

__not giving him any more time to dwell on the matter, sangyeon wraps up the activity and discreetly tells kevin to check up on the other lead (hyunjae noticing this of course). the director tells everyone to take five and whilst everyone starts to take out their phones and idly chat to their new castmates, sangyeon beckons for jaehyun to follow him to the right wings of the stage._ _

__"jaehyun, how are you feeling? do you want to back out of this?" jaehyun hates that he's being asked this so early on in the production but he honestly doesn't know the answer himself._ _

__"i don't know how to feel about this. it's kinda bittersweet seeing him again. he was my first love and he still makes me feel things that makes my stomach do flips and want to be with him again, but the anguish and hurtful emotions are still there and i'm not sure if i can take any more of this, especially if he's gonna be so affected by me being here," sangyeon rubs circles onto jaehyun's back, as if he's easing the actor to tell him his inner conflict._ _

__"i completely get that. i just want you to be happy with where you are. i can tell you've hit a slump in terms of your motivation to act and i really want you to not only face your past with juyeon but also rediscover your love for acting because i've seen just how happy it can make you. if you want to take a few days off the stage to recollect your thoughts and think things through then i can let you do that; the first showing is months away anyways and if you choose to leave then that's fine with me. sure you're my first pick but i don't want to pressure you into doing something you don't feel comfortable with doing," sangyeon reassures jaehyun and he feels slightly overwhelmed; he missed sangyeon talking him through his feelings as it felt as if the older understood his mind fully._ _

__"hyung, i think i'm going to take you up on that offer. going head-first into this project was in truth a bit of a reckless move, especially since i haven't acted for a few months and i knew that juyeon was going to be here so i think i need a few days to reset. i don't think i'm going to give up my role because this production is very different to something i'd usually do and i don't think i'd get another opportunity to do something like this again but like i said, i need to think some things through before i can fully give it my all," jaehyun gives sangyeon a small smile and the director gives him an understanding look._ _

__"you don't have to continue with today's session. in all honesty i think i'm going to cut today's session short and take the cast out for lunch instead, it'll be more casual and an easier way for everyone to get accustomed to each other. you gonna join?" jaehyun nods his head. sangyeon leads them back out of the wings and onto the stage._ _

__jaehyun can see out of the corner of his eye that juyeon has since returned, but he looks more dishevelled and his top is stained with what seems like tear puddles. he feels sadness in his heart seeing the younger like this, despite him not knowing why he should._ _

__"everyone, i've come to the conclusion that what would be better for all of us instead of diving straight into rehearsing we still need a bit more time to bond as a cast so how about lunch on me?" cheers come from all and even the sides of juyeon's mouth turn slightly upwards at the suggestion_ _

__sangyeon nudges jaehyun, "see, no one can resist a free lunch."_ _


End file.
